On the Field, but the Heart's Back Home
by magicsintheair
Summary: The draft took Bucky away from his home in Brooklyn. He can't help but let his thoughts continuously drift to Steve, who fortunately (from Bucky's perspective) wasn't in this hellhole with him. The nature of his daydreams may go unnoticed by himself, but not to a certain lieutenant in the 107th. Stucky, pre-slash. Takes place before the 107th was rescued by Steve. Four chapters.
1. Chapter 1

One part of the war that Bucky would never forget was Lieutenant Samuels, the leader of his company. Samuels was brave, strong, and smart as a tack, and for a skinny, 65 year old man he was deceptively not afraid to get his hands dirty. He would laugh in the middle of battle, running out of ammo only to take out two daggers, spinning them in his hands like they were batons before stabbing a Nazi in the eye.

Lieutenant Samuels seemed invincible. It was as if he was a shield against all the dangers of the war, and somehow he gave comfort to even those on their deathbeds. He had a safe aura that surrounded him, and acted as the fatherly figure for most of the company. Bucky, whose father was an ex soldier and died when he was very young, sometimes liked to imagine that he was his actual father. He felt warmth spread through him whenever Samuels smiled, patted his shoulder, and said, "Good thinking, Sergeant."

One night, Samuels took first watch. Bucky decided to stay up too. He'd been having nightmares for the past couple of days, and he was honestly afraid of closing his eyes. His only wish was to get back home to Steve, to their crummy Brooklyn apartment, where he could work at the docks and come home to Steve sketching at the table every night.

'Unless Steve has somehow managed to manipulate the admissions office into accepting him,' Bucky thought anxiously, then pushed it aside. As if. Hopefully Steve would miraculously forget about his foolhardy ambitions. But that was impossible. If there was one way to describe Steve Rogers, it would be stubborner than a mule and twice as stupid when he gets an idea into that thick skull of his.

Actually, come to think of it, Steve hadn't written any letters to him even though he promised to write. Bucky sent three so far, warning him about the horrors of war and asking if Steve was doing okay. Maybe Steve ran out of money, and couldn't pay for a stamp. Maybe he got sick, and was on the streets dying. Maybe-

No. Bucky forced his tense body to relax. Steve's gonna be fine. He paid off the rent for a year, and the meager pension he's been earning will help Steve survive. Bucky narrowed his eyes. Unless he gave away everything to some homeless widow. The damn idiot, he should have never left Steve alone. What was he thinking?! Oh wait. He didn't have any choice, because of the FUCKING draft-

"You alright, son?" Bucky's head snapped up from where he was glaring into the fire. Lieutenant Samuels was sitting a few feet away, poking at the fire with a stick.

"Yes, sir," Bucky replied, fidgeting with his uniform. If only Steve could see him now, covered in dust from head to toe.

He would probably laugh and call him a dust bunny before ruffling his hair. And then Bucky would wrap his arms around his skinny shoulders and say, 'You'll be a dust ball when I'm done with you!' He'd hug Steve, getting dust all over his stupid white button up that he always wears, while both of them laugh until their sides hurt, Steve half protesting and yanking on Bucky's hair in retaliation. And then-

"Ah, I see. Thinking about your sweetheart back home, huh?" Bucky shook himself out of his daydream and stared at Lieutenant Samuels, who was smirking at him knowingly. Bucky shook his head and smiled softly.

"No, sir. Just my best friend, Steve," Bucky laughed, "And Steve's definitely not my sweetheart." Samuels hummed before going back to poking at the fire halfheartedly.

"This Steve seems kind of important to you. What's he like?" Samuels asked, his green eyes bright and glittering in the fire light. Bucky grinned and shook his head, running his hand through the back of his hair. If there was something that Bucky completely knew, it was Steve Rogers.

"Steve and I met when we were kids. Steve was defending a kid from some bullies, and when they knocked him down he just got back up for more, the stupid punk. Well, I was passing by and managed to scare the bullies off by hurling a cardboard box full of rotten vegetables at them. Steve and I have been best friends ever since. He's always been real small and skinny, but he's full of passion and he's not afraid to stand up to anybody, no matter how bigger they are. I'm always hauling his scrawny ass out of trouble. But when he gets into a fight, and his blue eyes light up with this inner fire… he's something else," Bucky trailed off, gazing into the fire while smiling wistfully.

"He sounds like a good man," Samuels said seriously, watching Bucky with a knowing smile.

"The best of the best, sir," he whispered, "He's got the biggest heart I've ever seen. He's gonna be an amazing artist one day, I just know it. He's gonna do something great." Lieutenant Samuels nodded.

They both sat in silence for a bit, and Bucky leaned back to look at the stars. He hoped Steve was doing alright. He'll need to send another letter when he gets ahold of some paper and stamps. Maybe Steve did send him letters, and they're on their way. And the next time they get to a base they'll call Bucky's name and give him a small stack of letters. They'd all have Steve's distinct scrawl on the front, and inside will be his long ramblings on how many fights he got into, how he helped old Martha with carrying her groceries again, and had an asthma attack because of walking up four flights of stairs carrying a huge grocery bag. And maybe there'll be a few sketches of the park, or the cat that hangs around their building.

"Bucky?" Lieutenant Samuels's voice drew him back to reality again. Jeez, he was really spacing out tonight.

"Yeah?" Bucky asked, rubbing his eyes. He must be tired or something. Samuels was smirking at him again.

"Are you sure Steve's not your sweetheart?" He asked, waggling his bushy eyebrows suggestively. Bucky's eyes widened.

"No, sir!" Bucky exclaimed, blushing. He and Steve would never… would never… Samuels started laughing at him, a great booming laugh that seemed to echo through the night. It showed how exhausted their company was that none of them even stirred.

"God, Barnes, you should see your face right now! I don't know how your precious Steve puts up with you, you numbskull. You're obviously as thick as a brick!" Samuels laughed and started trailing off into wheezes. He wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. Bucky rolled his eyes and huffed.

"That's not what you said yesterday when I sniped that Nazi who was over 2,000 meters away," Bucky smirked back at him triumphantly, "Besides, I know Steve like the back of my hand. We're only best friends!" He was glad, even though he wasn't into guys, that Samuels was still very accepting. He'd get along real well with Steve. Samuels was a great guy and loves everyone. Except Nazis, of course.

"Well, I know the look of someone in love, even underneath the pure obliviousness, and it's all over your face and your puppy dog eyes. And I never said war, son, I meant matters of the heart," Samuels sighed, mimicking a swoon and putting his hand over his chest. Bucky couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"Yeah, well you're still wrong, sir. Must be getting senile in your old age," Bucky teased, and Samuels scoffed.

"Even an old man like myself can see that love struck gaze in your eyes, boy. I've seen that sappy expression on many faces before." He seemed to stare past Bucky, as if he was seeing old memories flash across his eyes. Maybe even recent ones, like of James, who was married right before he was drafted, and was killed yesterday. A more somber mood settled between them as they recalled the harsh battles they've been going through.

"Sir?" Bucky's whisper cut through the heavy air like a knife. Samuels swivelled his eyes back on Bucky's and motioned for Bucky to go on. He continued, "Are you afraid of dying?" He hated how his voice trembled. How weak he sounded. Samuels stared at him, his face unreadable, before puffing his chest out and smirking.

"I survived the trenches son. I've seen shit that makes this look like child's play. No Nazi bastard is gonna kill me," he stated, squaring his shoulders. Bucky laughed and shook his head, glad that the mood was lighter.

"Yeah, well I doubt anything could kill you, sir. Not even if Hitler himself came out to the battlefield," Bucky proclaimed, smiling confidently at Samuels, who grinned back.

"Thanks, kid. Now why don't you go to sleep. If I can kill Hitler, I can certainly watch over everyone," Samuels declared, pointing at Bucky's mat while raising an eyebrow pointedly. Bucky shrugged and started crawling over to his space.

"Hope you have sweet dreams of your sweetheart!" Samuels called, before breaking out into gruff laughter once more. Bucky rolled his eyes and sighed, flopping down onto his mat and tugging the old blanket over him. And when his thoughts went back to Steve, as they always seemed to do, his heart beat just a little bit faster.

A/N: Thanks for reading! There's going to be at least one more chapter. If you could give a comment, then that would be great. Also, without my beta Nepetation, this would have been awful. I'd be lost without her! XD So thank you Nepetation! :) Go check out her fics if you have time!


	2. Chapter 2

When a bright blue light started disintegrating the enemy, Bucky worried that he had finally lost his mind and was hallucinating. But when he quickly glanced over at the astonished faces of Dum Dum and Gabe, he knew what he was seeing was real. This couldn't be happening; it was like something that he'd read in a scifi book! He'd seen some pretty weird stuff on the battlefield, but never anything like this. Cheers started from the men behind them as the blue light continued to kill Nazi stragglers.

Bucky climbed out of the trench, quickly followed by Dum Dum and Gabe. He started out into the smoke, trying to find where the strange light came from. Rumblings from on top of a hill nearby revealed a huge tank, one Bucky's never seen before. He could feel a chill spreading down his spine. Nazi killing or not, this does not look good.

"Well that's…" Dum Dum muttered.

"...New," Bucky finished, before the tank pointed the barrel at in their direction. What the fuck- oh no. "GET DOWN!" Bucky yelled to the others, whipping around before hearing a firing sound. Oh shit- As the wave of energy overtook him, his vision sparked into hundreds of searing colors before going dark.

Bucky saw Steve's face, blurry as he adjusted to the morning light. He could feel Steve shaking him and calling out his name. "Stop it, Steve," Bucky mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Am I late for work again?" Steve smiled down on him, his hair shining in the sun like a halo. God, Steve was handsome. How could any girl turn him down?

"Yeah, jerk, you're real late. Mr. Fernguesse is gonna fire you for real this time if you don't hurry up," Steve urged, yanking away his blanket. Bucky yawned, waving away Steve's words with his hands. Bucky squinted at the clothes that he usually set on the chair by Steve's desk. Instead of ratty work clothes, there was a pristine army uniform folded neatly.

"Come on, Bucky!" Steve called from outside the room. Bucky shrugged and put on his uniform. He walked into the kitchen, where Steve was taking K-rations out of the oven. Steve shoved a breakfast one at him before pushing him towards the door, his skinny arms surprisingly strong. Bucky opened the front door to a war scene. Bullets were flying everywhere, there were explosions in the distance, and already dead bodies had begun to pile up. A soldier ran past their door and threw a grenade.

Bucky stared at the scene in shock. He had to get to Steve. He'd hide him in the closet, make sure he's safe, and then find out what the hell was going on. Steve popped up right beside him, causing him to jump.

"Steve!" He yelped, and tried to move Steve back inside the house. He wouldn't budge, and just looked at Bucky with confusion in his eyes.

"Bucky? What's wrong?" Steve asked, shrugging off Bucky's hands from his arm. How the hell did he manage to do that? A bomb exploded behind him and Bucky flinched.

"Steve, you need to get to safety! You can't be here!" Bucky yelled, grabbing his skinny shoulders. Steve rolled his eyes and pushed Bucky away.

"I'll be fine, Bucky," Steve grinned cockily, "Besides, I got accepted into the army, remember? I can handle myself." Bucky realized that Steve was wearing an army uniform too, and he choked in surprise before rushing after him into the chaotic battle.

"Steve!" Bucky shouted, and Steve turned around. Right before Bucky could reach him, a blue blast of light enveloped Steve, and he disintegrated into dust. Bucky felt like his heart stopped. No. No no no no no! Not Steve!

"STEVE!" Bucky screamed, falling to his knees next to the pile of ash that was once his best friend. "STEVIE!"

Bucky woke up with a gasp, his heart beating wildly and harshly breathing. It was all a dream, thank God. But where was he now? It was almost pitch black, and he was in some sort of vehicle. He felt that he was pressed up against two unmoving soldiers, and he struggled out of the position he was lying so his arms were no longer pinned down. His gun was no longer on him, not even the pistol he kept on his belt. Bucky squinted through the darkness and saw one of the men slumped against the wall in front of him had a strange shaped helmet- oh. Must be Dum Dum.

What happened? How did they all get captured? Can't worry about that right now, they need to escape. Bucky grabbed the shoulders of the man next to him and shook him while softly hissing "Wake up, private!" When the soldier didn't even stir, he felt panic rising in the back of this throat. Was he surrounded by dead bodies?! He held his breath and listened closely. When he could finally hear the soft patterns of breathing around him over the sound of the truck moving he breathed out again with relief. He gently set the man back down, puzzled.

Everyone must be unconscious. Maybe some kind of non-lethal gas was used? What the hell happened?! Scrunching up his face in concentration, Bucky tried to think back to when he must have been captured. His mind felt kinda hazy… For some reason he remembered bright blue lights, and… Nazis disintegrating? And then a tank that shot some sorta energy wave, and then it all went black…

As if. He must have been hallucinating. Those Nazis must have hit them with some sort of new knockout gas. Bucky rubbed his face tiredly. Why was he the only one awake then? Or maybe… there was others who were awake and pretending to be asleep? He dropped his hand down onto the floor, brushing up against the cool metal. Okay, hopefully everyone knows morse code (it's required to learn in their company, but there are always those who somehow get away with never learning). Bucky carefully tapped out 'who is awake' on the floor, using fingertips for dots and knuckle taps for dashes.

He sat there, carefully listening for a response through the sound of tires moving over gravel and German soldiers muttering from the front of the truck. There was none. Bucky shifted his eyes over to where he guessed was the front of the car, weighing whether it would be worth it to whisper to the others if the Nazis may be able to hear him. Fuck it, this situation couldn't get any worse.

"Soldiers!" Bucky hissed into the darkness, "Anyone awake?! Respond!" He waited in tense silence for an answer. Again, nothing. Damn, it looks like he's the only one awake. He crawled over to where he thought Dugan was laying, stretching his hand out and feeling the top hat that he never took off. Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. If he could wake Dugan, this would be easier. And then maybe they could find Gabe and hatch a plan to get outta here.

"Dum Dum!" Bucky whispered into Dugan's ear while prodding at his unconscious body, "Dugan! Wake up!" He didn't stir. Bucky jammed his finger into Dugan's ribs uselessly, hoping for a response. He didn't even flinch, and Bucky knew that Dugan was a light sleeper. That must have been some powerful knockout gas. He sat back, glaring at the unmoving body. Of course he would get to sleep through this, leaving him to do all the work. Alone.

Bucky turned, looking at the front of the truck, where the German soldiers must be sitting. The back part was separated from the drivers seat by a cloth. There must be only two Nazis in the truck, Bucky reasoned, because there's only two seats in the front of trucks and he could hear two different voices. If he could knock them out, he'd take control of the vehicle and then get the hell out of wherever they were. He'd never driven a truck before, but it couldn't be that hard, right? Right.

He took a deep breath in. First, he'll need to knock the Nazis out. He could try breaking their necks, but he'd never broken a neck before, so it was kinda risky. Maybe he could slam their heads together? That only worked in films, right? How about he slams their heads together, and if that doesn't work he'll bash their heads against the sides of the truck. Perfect. Not really, there are so many things that can go wrong, but maybe today is his lucky day. Bucky felt his heart pounding in his ears as he started crawling towards the front of the truck. This is such a stupid plan, Bucky scolded himself, but at least Steve would definitely approve, the dumb punk.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been super busy with my senior project. And I'm going on vacation, so I should have time to finish this over the next 2 weeks. I've decided that this will actually be four chapters (sorry guys, ended up getting ideas XD). Thanks for reading, and a HUGE thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and faved! You guys made my day! And a big thank you to my beta, Nepetation!


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